What is I-O?

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is the scientific
study of the workplace. Rigor and methods of psychology are
applied to issues of critical relevance to business,
including talent management, coaching, assessment,
selection, training, organizational development,
performance, and work-life balance.

In April 2003 the Executive Committee of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) established an ad hoc committee on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) research and membership issues. The purpose of establishing this committee was to begin to encourage research on LGBT issues and promote LGBT voice within SIOP.

The LGBT committee has a Working Mission Statement, which is:

To increase favorable attitudes and awareness of LGBT issues within SIOP, to encourage research on LGBT issues, and to promote LGBT voice and support.

1. Continue to update SIOP members about LGBT-related happenings via TIP articles. We are pleased to report that a summary of our 2007 activities was published in TIP, and that we are also using TIP as an avenue through which to advertise our activities for the 2008 conference.

2. Utilize the LGBT Discussion Group effectively. The listserve has been used primarily as a vehicle for sharing current events, announcing relevant grants, and reporting on committee activities.

3. Organize the LGBT meeting focusing on issues regarding SIOP and LGBT for SIOP 2008. With the help of the program committee and Dave Nershi, we have scheduled an open meeting for the conference in San Francisco.

4. Organize a LGBT reception at the 2008 SIOP Conference. With the support of the executive and program committees, we are delighted to report that we will be holding an extended reception at the 2008 conference that will serve dual roles of social engagement and fundraising (see below).

5. Continue fundraising for Emerging Issues Award on LGBT Issues.We were delighted that the first SIOP award on LGBT issues was distributed at SIOP 2007. To ensure the continuation of the award, we are organizing fundraising efforts to raise the required $25,000. At SIOP 2008, we will hold the first-ever silent auction on behalf of the LGBT research award. A subcommittee is working diligently throughout the year to ensure that a successful auction is carried out.

6. Advertise poster award widely. The LGBT Research Award was advertised widely across listserves and to all IO program chairs. Several outstanding submissions were received and the award will be presented at SIOP 2008.

7. Create a system for LGBT individuals and their allies to be identified and connected at the SIOP conference. Because an LGBT identity is not necessarily visible, it can be difficult for LGBT individuals and their allies to connect throughout the conference. The reception and committee meeting support this connection, but members have expressed a desire to create additional systems for connecting. We are continuing to consider multiple models to achieve this; one model for this is efforts made by international members of SIOP. These individuals have a designated meeting table where individuals can interact in person or via written messages. Another model is to provide stickers or pins that indicate LGBT or ally status. We will consider this and discuss the possibility for integrating such ideas at SIOP 2008.

8. In addition, we will continue to increase the visibility of LGBT workplace issues at the 2008 SIOP Conference via the promotion of more research sessions.Members of the committee worked to ensure that LGBT research papers would be submitted to the conference, and we are pleased to note that several sessions in the program will include LGB-related research.

9. Finally, we would like to consider the possibility of creating an internal SIOP LGBT subject pool. One of the primary challenges in conducting LGBT-related research is access to (often unidentified) LGBT workers. One strategy that might be used to overcome this challenge is to create a subject pool through which participants can be recruited. Addressing this issue is secondary to the establishment of the research award, and will continue to be discussed at SIOP 2008.